Succulent Care
How to Grow Succulents:
or; the Cultivation of Succulent Plants
Succulents require only a few basic things, but these few things are very important. Succulent care depends on recognizing the difference between xerophytes and other types of plants. If you try and grow succulents in the same way as many other houseplants, the results could be disappointing. Many indoor gardeners have grown other jungle plants, even had great success with epiphytes like Schlumbergera, the Christmas Cactus. Much more difficult are Lithops, the Living Stones or Pebble Plants. Learning how to grow Lithops is the ultimate challenge in caring for succulents. Caring for succulents is a skill easily learned, with just a few rules. Basic Rules of Succulent Care Succulent plants have a need for a well drained soil, whereas most house plant soil is the opposite. Mixing a regular soilless mix with extra aggregate such as pumice, perlite or small gravel or turkey grit will improve the drainage part of the soil mix immensely. Another requirement that is crucial for succulents is that the soil should dry out almost completely in between thorough waterings. See the page on succulent soil for more guidelines. Using rainwater or distilled water warmed to room temperature or even to lukewarm or tepid will give the best results. Cold water shocks the roots, resulting in their death. In the winter while the plants are in a state of dormancy, I usually cut back on the frequency of the water they receive, although they still get the occasional deep watering. For the summer, they can take a lot more once they go into a growing phase.
Fertilize only sparingly, as in the conditions and environments where these desert plants originate, organic matter, especially any kind of manure is nonexistent. The best kinds of fertilizers, if used at all, are very weak solutions of compost tea, or worm castings that will act as a slow release fertilizer. A small worm farm will produce lots for using on your succulents. If you envision where these plants were adapted to in their wild habitat, in most cases they are in full blazing sun, with long hours of intense ultraviolet exposure. Their evolution in these types of conditions has given them strategies for survival in only those conditions. Low light levels and a humid atmosphere will lead to them struggling to survive.
The perfect conditions in an indoor situation will be in bright light such as a south or east window, supplemented with extra hours of light under fluorescent grow lights. Optimum length of light should be around 12-14 hours of light per day, so supplement the natural daylight they receive with grow lights to that amount. Following the rules of succulent care will ensure that your plants are happy and healthy, disease and pest free. Once you learn the basic guidelines for caring for succulents your collection will thrive.
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